Child Sex Abuse Victim Speaks Out, Hoping To Turn Abuse Into Change

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By
Sarah Cantey

Story Created:
Apr 25, 2014 at 5:54 PM CDT

It's estimated that one in five girls and one out of 20 boys are victims of child sexual abuse.

It's a statistic Angie Lewis knows all too well. Her father, Larry Lewis, was found guilty of sexually abusing her when she was between the ages of seven and nine. The verdict was reached by a jury earlier this week in Pike County court.

Angie is now a Troy University student working towards becoming a social worker and hopes to one day be an advocate for other victims. She agreed to share her story, hoping to inspire other victims to come forward.

"I would say to them that they are not alone. A lot of times you feel like you are totally alone and you feel shame and guilt when it's not your fault everything that happened to you wasn't your fault. It happens to more people than you think," she said.

Angie is also acting as president, merging two student groups at Troy University to create Troy Voice of Justice- an anti-human trafficking organization. They are going to be doing fundraisers for the International Justice Mission and for Stella's Voice that's based in Montgomery.

Larry Lewis will be sentence on May 29. He is facing one to 10 years in prison.

District Attorney Tom Anderson said, "I would like to commend Josh Wilson (assistant district attorney) for his efforts, the victim for her bravery and fortitude in seeing that justice is served and Det. Terry Miles of the Troy Police Department and the Pike County Department of Human Resources for their thorough investigation of this matter."